1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Instant Messaging & Presence Service (IMPS). More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for automatically accessing a relevant group when determining that message inform information is transmitted from the relevant group in order to determine the message generated from the relevant group without accessing the relevant group.
2. Description of the Related Art
A mobile terminal is a necessity indispensable to a modern people and is widely used without distinction of age or sex. A service provider and a terminal manufacturer competitively develop a product (or service) for differentiation from other companies.
For example, a plurality of services is provided by a mobile communication service provider. Examples of the services include a service developed and provided by a mobile communication service provider such as a wireless Internet access, a short message transmission, a multimedia message transmission, and a wireless on-line game. Examples of services developed/produced and provided by a mobile terminal manufacturer itself include a phone-book management, a memo writing function, a message writing function, a schedule management, games, a camera function, an electronic calculator, an alarm function, a bell setting, and the like.
The mobile communication service provider provides not only the above-mentioned services, but also an Instant Messaging & Presence Service (IMPS) such as an instant message service for chatting with a counterpart mobile terminal in real-time and for performing communication using short messages, that is, one-to-one chatting and group chatting, and a presence service for determining a current status of a counterpart mobile terminal, that is, a power on/off status, and current position information.
The above-described IMPS is a technology for a new communication unit based on Internet technologies. The IMPS is used for exchanging a message and presence information between a mobile terminal and a mobile communication service, using an Internet-based instant messaging service. A representative characteristic of IMPS includes a status service and an instant messaging service.
Also, the IMPS supports a group function to allow users registered in a group designated by a user to give and take instant messages to and from one another. Therefore, the IMPS can be used by small-scale business users such as a group inside a company or the same work group performing communication related to a frequent job.
However, in the case where instant messages are given and taken using the group function, only a user who has accessed the group can determine if a new message has been sent.
That is, even when a manager of the group transfers a public notice to all of the users registered in the group, if a user does not access the group, there is no way for the user to become aware of the public notice.